My Best Self...

About 3 weeks ago, I weighed myself on a whim. It was bad. I was having a particularly bad fat day to begin with and the number that I saw was highly disappointing. I knew I had gained weight, but I wasn't thinking it had been as much as it was. The number was the 2nd heaviest that I had been since college - that's fun!

Conveniently, Jenna over at That Wife Blog and a friend from BYUSA back in the day was starting the 3rd iteration of TWLC (That Weight Loss Challenge) that same week. So... I took the necessary "Before" pictures (they're every bit as depressing looking as you'd expect from an overly dramatic infomercial), e-mailed my stats, and made a plan for myself. I'm trying to work out at least 3-4 times each week at some level - lots of running, lots of yoga, and some squats because I'm apparently a glutton for punishment. I'm actually paying attention to what I eat, but not letting that control my life. I'm drinking LOTS of water. All good things to be my best self.

I really LOVE running. I love the personal time and singing along to my ipod at the gym. I love the burn and that it's changing my body. The problem is fitting it into my schedule and some lasting anxieties from this experience last week.

The funny thing about this effort is that I'm not unhappy with myself or my body. Every other time I've ever been on the heavy side I usually am a lot more depressed or self conscious. Yes, even I have my insecurities.   But I'm not. It's different this time. I'm not losing weight so that I'm comfortable in my own skin or because I know I'm more attractive when my body is under control. I'm undertaking this goal because I know I can be happier and a better version of myself if I make these lasting changes in my life. More than anything this was a wake up call that this is not the person I want to be. I'm not healthy, or at least not as healthy as I should be. So... we're doing something about it.

Here's my progress-o-meter:

Feel free to heckle me through this process. Positive heckling is appreciated, but if you're going to go negative you might as well make it witty.

I've got a LONG way to go, but considering I'm now 3 weeks in and I've already lost 5 pounds I will take it. TWLC3 ends mid-October which also happens to correspond to about the time I'll be losing my sanity and living out of my car like a homeless person. Seriously. I think my sub-goal is to just not lose my sanity come the November elections... But if that doesn't work out then I might as well be smoking hot, right?